Hombre 

By Elmore Leonard

201 pages

Published Jan. 1, 1961 by Ballantyne Books

This is one of two books by Elmore Leonard that The Mules are reading this month.

 Hombre is genre fiction. It’s a Western, the story of John Russell, a sort-of Apache/White Man that leads a group of passengers to safety after their stagecoach is held up and they are left to die in the desert.

It’s is not one of Leonard’s best books, but it is a good, fast, fun read. So, I’m recommending it.

The Themes 

The most obvious theme is prejudice: White prejudice against Native Americans and Mexicans. Native American prejudice against Whites. And Mexican prejudice against Native Americans and Whites.

But the story also deals with social governance versus individuality – whether democracy is always the better choice. And trust and human nature – whether assuming that there is good in everyone that can be tapped into is an intelligent social perspective.

What I Liked About It 

Like I said, it is a quick and satisfying read. But it also got me thinking.

What I Didn’t Like 

The story is told through the perspective of a secondary character. I generally like this literary gimmick (e.g., The Great Gatsby). But in this case, it felt, at times, artificial and almost intrusive.

Critical Reception 

I couldn’t find any reviews of Hombre by actual critics. But here are some posted by readers on GoodReads:

“Leonard’s spare style and his use of first-person (his only novel to use that POV), is effective at lending the story its mythic tone. It’s deceptively uncomplicated and well-paced, right up to its great final act.”

“Leonard’s story of Russell and of how he earns the name ‘Hombre’ has many aspects of the formulaic Western, but it also shows the genre at its best.”